WASHINGTON, D.C. - As children, we are each taught that if you work hard, you will have the opportunity to succeed.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of immigrant children who were brought here by their parents at a young age work hard to succeed in school and just want the opportunity to go to college or serve in the U.S. Armed Services.

The DREAM Act will help turn these dreams of opportunity into reality!

For the last decade, MALDEF has advocated on behalf of helping these hard-working students achieve their dreams of an opportunity to pursue higher education or service in the armed forces.

On December 8, the DREAM Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, but there is still critical work to be done. Before President Obama can sign the bill and the DREAM Act can become law, the bill must pass the U.S. Senate.

The DREAM is Within Reach!

After a long fight, the time for passage of the DREAM Act is near. We are in the final Senate stretch as Senator Harry Reid has pledged to called up the bill to the Senate floor for a vote on Saturday, December 18.

We are only one day away from achieving our goal of passing the DREAM Act!

The DREAM Act, as recently amended, would provide a qualified path to citizenship otherwise not available to roughly 755,000 immigrant youth and young adults, particularly for those completing two years of college or military service.

How You Can Help - Call Key Senators Today!

The following Senators need to hear from you before Saturday.

Make calls TODAY to key Senators to demonstrate broad support for the DREAM Act.

Ben Nelson (D-NE), 202-224-6551

Kay Hagan (D-NC), 202-224-6342

Claire McCaskill (D-MO), 202-224-6154

Mary Landrieu (D-LA), 202-224-5824

Lindsey Graham (R-SC), 202-224-5972

Richard Lugar (R-IN), 202-224-4814

Olympia Snowe (R-ME), 202-224-5344

Susan Collins (R-ME), 202-224-2523

George Voinovich (R-OH), 202-224-3353

George LeMieux (R-FL), 202-224-3041

Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), 202-224-5922

Robert Bennett (R-UT), 202-224-5444

Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), 202-224-6665

John Cornyn (R-TX), 202-224-2934

John McCain (R-AZ), 202-224-2235

Jon Kyl (R-AZ), (202) 224-4521

Orrin Hatch (R-UT), 202-224-5251

John Ensign (R-NV), 202-224-6244

Mark Kirk (R-IL), 202-224-2854

Scott Brown (R-MA), 202-224-4543

Judd Gregg (R-NH), 202-224-3324

Sam Brownback (R-KS), 202-224-6521

Reasons the Above Senators Should Vote YES on the DREAM Act

Because the public supports the DREAM Act -- 70%, according to a recent poll by First Focus, and 66 %, according to Lake Research Partners.

Because the military needs the DREAM Act -- Secretary of Defense Bill Gates, Retired Gen. Colin Powell, and many other military leaders support the DREAM Act.

Because taxpayers deserve a return on their investment -- the Congressional Budget Office estimates the DREAM Act would reduce the deficit by $2.2 billion and UCLA estimates that successful DREAM Act-relief holders will generate $3.6 to $1.4 trillion of income (in current dollars) of the next four decades.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the "law firm of the Latino community," MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.